ESSENCE Festival of Culture® returns to New Orleans July 3–6, marking 55 years of ESSENCE Magazine and decades of uplifting Black voices with a strong spotlight on local talent, stories and culture. Earlier this year, it was announced that Boyz II Men, Davido, Maxwell, Master P, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, Nas, Summer Walker and Erykah Badu would perform.
Last week, the second wave of its festival lineup was announced. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Babyface, Jill Scott & Friends, Patti LaBelle and Jazmine Sullivan are amongst the recently announced performers. There will also be a tribute to the late Quincy Jones under the creative direction of Jermaine Dupri which will feature a rich medley of artists who have either collaborated with or been influenced by Jones, including Tyrese, Al B. Sure!, Robin Thicke, SWV, Xscape, The Pharcyde and Mobb Deep.
This year’s events featuring locals include:
Battle of Jollof vs. Jambalaya Basketball Game (3 p.m. July 3 at Xavier University): With local legends like Master P and Dawn Richard, live DJ sets, and a rice cook-off, this free kickoff event mixes flavor with fun. This kick off event is free with RSVP.
ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival™: Curated by Chef Nina Compton, the event celebrates the city and the diaspora with Po’boy showdowns, Hurricane cocktail competitions and appearances by Big Freedia and more.
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time Premiere: ESSENCE STUDIOS™ will host the ESSENCE Film Festival® , featuring the world premiere of National Geographic’s Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time docuseries, followed by a conversation with the Oscar® -nominated series’ director, Traci A. Curry, and a spotlight on the stories still unfolding two decades after the storm. The series premieres later this summer on July 27 on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
We Love Us Community Day (July 5 at UNO Lakefront Arena): Free wellness day includes a youth basketball clinic from Master P’s Hope Foundation, heart screenings, financial workshops, and mental health programming.
There will also be live music and content creator events all weekend, with local performers and voices front and center.
As stated via Business Wire, ESSENCE aims to reinvest in New Orleans through Black business initiatives, sustainability donations to local schools and year-round programs like the Community Commerce Collective (C3).
More info is available at ESSENCEFest.com. See photos from last year’s festival here.
